‘I told you I liked to be on top,’ I said, hooking one leg over him so I could sit astride him. His body was rock hard. I ran my hand up his chest and he shuddered. He must have put in an extraordinary number of hours at the gym to achieve that sort of physique. He adjusted my weight, shifting my body so he could get more comfortable.

‘Oh really? Because I think you’ll find I’m the one in charge here.’

‘No chance,’ I whispered, leaning in once more. Then I pulled back abruptly.

He frowned. ‘What’s wrong?’

I put one hand up to my head. It didn’t feel good. ‘Something’s not right,’ I muttered.

‘Integrity,’ he rasped, ‘this is so right.’

‘No.’ I shook head. My vision was beginning to blur. ‘I feel strange.’ And then, for the second time that day, I keeled over.

Chapter Seven

This time when I woke up, I was more aware of my surroundings than I was when the Wild Man knocked me out. That was mainly because there was an arm wrapped tightly round my waist and a leg thrown over my hip, pinning me into place. And that damn aftershave was everywhere. It was as if I’d been sprinkled liberally with it.

I groaned and tried to move my arm, eventually managing to squeeze it out from underneath me. I rubbed my eyes. I glanced down at myself and froze. My pink dress was gone. All I was wearing were my bra and panties. At least I wasn’t naked. I wasn’t sure if I could take that sort of shame. I’d never live it down if Lexie discovered I’d let myself be this vulnerable.

What the hell had happened to me? Everything was going so swimmingly … I ran through the events in my mind. It had to have been the champagne. Somehow – and I had no idea how – I must have drunk from the spiked glass instead of Byron. That would explain why I’d felt the sudden urge to throw caution to the wind and fling myself at him. And the current wham-wham pounding in my head. Frankly, it was a bloody good thing that I’d passed out before things went any further.

I scowled. He didn’t have to strip me though. And he could have put my unconscious body in the second bedroom. Or on the sofa.

His breath, hot on the back of my neck, was soft and even. I’d just have to hope he was a sound sleeper because I was getting into that safe and getting the Lia Saifire right now. Enough was enough.

As gingerly as I could, I wriggled my hips forward to extricate myself from his leg. Then I reached down for his arm and tried to loosen his grip. He murmured something in his sleep and tightened his hold. Crapadoodle. I tried again.